Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.
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June 28, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"In Strictest Security, Scientists Are Giving Smallpox to Monkeys" Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com) (06/26/02) P. A1; Chase, Marilyn
Scientists at CDC are trying to create an animal model of human smallpox in monkeys in order to help develop new drugs and vaccines for the disease in case of an epidemic. Currently, no drugs exist to treat smallpox, and the vaccine to immunize against it can promote serious side effects, including death in about three out of every million people vaccinated. Animal models are systems for testing treatments and safer vaccines without endangering human volunteers. However, John Hopkins University's Alfred Sommer, dean of the public health school at the university, argues that the best way to fight smallpox is to destroy the stockpiles of virus. World Health Organization smallpox campaign head D.A. Henderson - who is also currently senior scientific adviser on public-health preparedness to HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson - thinks the government should spend its time and money finding a drug to treat reactions to the vaccine. He claims it is doubtful researchers will ever find a drug to treat people once smallpox lesions appear. James LeDuc, the CDC's director of viral diseases and its point man on smallpox, defends Dr. Jahrling's work, saying "there's been a lot of hysteria," but adding that the research is now "yielding positive results."
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